The Sand Lake Fourth of July Celebration kicks off Wednesday, July 4, and part of that celebration will be the crowning of Miss Sand Lake and Miss Junior Sand Lake at noon.

The Miss Sand Lake and Junior Miss Sand Lake pageant was held on May 3, 2012. Chosen as Miss Sand Lake was Kristina Nozal. She lives in Sand Lake and attends Tri County High School. She is involved with the Equestrian Team and 4-H and enjoys spending time with friends and family.

The Queen’s court includes Shana Shquair, Tonya Rivard, and Natasha Azur.
Shana lives in Sand Lake and attends Tri-County High School. She is involved as a volunteer soccer coach, with the National Honor Society, and enjoys jazz music. Tonya lives in Pierson and graduated from Tri-County High School in 2011 and is now attending Montcalm Community College, spending her time riding dirt bikes, four wheelers and going mud bogging. Natasha lives in Sand Lake and attends Tri- County High School. She is involved in soccer, cheerleading, and the National Honor Society.

Junior Miss Sand Lake is Nicole Masion, age 12. She is a 6th grader at Tri-County. Her interests are singing and spending time with her friends and family. Runner up was Janaye Dotson, 13. Her interests are singing, reading, and caring for animals.

Ruth DeYoung, of Cedar Springs, was crowned the TOPS State Queen at the 2011 State Recognition Day in Mt. Pleasant on May 21st.

by Martha Bobb

Congratulations to our new TOPS State Queen, Ruth DeYoung, of Cedar Springs. TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) is a non-profit weight loss support group.

Ruth joined TOPS MI 1229 Sand Lake in 2002 weighing 294 pounds. It must have seemed almost impossible to her for the long journey ahead. She had many health issues to deal with. Two total knee replacements and the bones in her left foot fused, which required 13 screws with a long recovery time. One year later, it was necessary to do the same to her right foot using 11 screws. But she stuck to her main goal of losing weight, never dreaming of how far she would come. Becoming MI State Queen of TOPS International with a loss of 109 pounds was a great honor.

In 2007 she was honored as second place winner of Division 2 for the State of Michigan. Then in December of that same year she reached a loss of 100 pounds. In 2008 Ruth received the Century Award for maintaining that loss for 52 consecutive weeks.

“To reach your goal it’s important to remember calories in and calories out. Find yourself a friend, family member, or even a telephone buddy to share your journey. Mine became a family affair. My husband lost 100 pounds, and my daughter in Texas who belongs to TOPS lost 100 pounds. Another daughter lost 50 pounds and recently joined TOPS. You need to find a buddy and a plan that works for you,” Ruth shared.

Her weight loss came from exercising three times a week. She used equipment for weight training, walked the track and went to water aerobics and swam laps. On off days she used her stationary bike.

“Remember eating food is necessary, but also remember your portion size, carbohydrates, and fats. Get plenty of water and fiber. When you eat out ask for a box and put 1/2 of your order in a box to take home,” Ruth advises.

Early in July, Ruth will represent Michigan at the 2011 International Recognition Days in Milwaukee, WI.

We are so proud of you, Ruth. Your example is there to cheer us all on to reaching our goals.

If you’re interested in learning more about TOPS, join us at our meetings every Tuesday at the Resurrection Lutheran Church in Sand Lake. The first meeting is free, and it starts at 9:15 a.m. Weigh-ins begin at 8:30 a.m. Call Martha at 696-1039 for more information.